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Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century India was a time of anarchy and chaos. The Mughal Empire was disintegrating and India was facing hostile invasions from the North-West. The Sikhs and Marathas were consolidating political power and competing for ruling India against a rapidly encroaching colonial agency, the British East India Company. The Rajput states, many of which were once vassals under the Mughals, had to calibrate their allegiance based on the changing power dynamics. This affected not only the rulers, but also those who made the workforce—craftsmen, artisans, bankers and traders.

The arrival of the British brought better protection for life and property, technological advancements from Europe and the opening of global trade via sea routes. Seeking new business opportunities, a class of merchants, mainly the Jains and Marwaris, migrated from Rajasthan to new colonial cities emerging on the eastern and western coasts of India. Their phenomenal economic success was soon reflected in the art and architecture commissioned in their native lands. Artwork as a symbol of social status—earlier limited to the old nobility, military elite and landed gentry—now came to be patronised by communities engaged in trading and commercial activities. Starting in the eighteenth century and continuing till the twentieth, this nouveau riche merchant class constructed havelis and grand mansions throughout Rajasthan in places like Bundi, Kota, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Mewar, Marwar, Jodhpur, Amer, Dungarpur and Shekhawati.

I understood the transformative power of art when I first visited Shekhawati in 2014. My first stop was in Mandawa, conveniently connected by road to Delhi and Jaipur. I was captivated by the splendour and architectural finesse of the havelis in Mandawa and the many small towns scattered in this region, such as Sikar, Fatehpur, Nawalgarh, Ramgarh, Lakshmangarh, Churu, Pilani, Dundlod, Ajitgarh, Surajgarh, Jhunjhunu, Mukundgarh, Chirawa, Mahansar and Gagansar. Shekhawati was founded by Rao Sekha, a descendant of the royal house of Amer, in the 15th century in neighbouring Jaipur state. Amer, through its close association with the Mughal elite, had assimilated many Mughal influences, especially artwork and architecture, in their culture. Rajput rulers were already decorating their haveli interiors with lavish wall paintings, but in Shekhawati, paintings were executed both privately, inside their mansions, and publicly, on the walls facing the streets outside. The public nature of the artwork of Shekhawati makes the entire region akin to an open-air art gallery.

Every haveli has its own distinct artwork, depicting a mix of religious, mythological, social, familial and historical themes. Lord Krishna and stories from his life is a recurring motif in the paintings, revealing a strong preference for Vaishnava traditions which was influenced by the Bhakti movement; along with them are scenes from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. However, there are also scenes from the royal court, street processions and observation of festivals. The artists were not bound by rigid choice of subject, but were free to improvise, which is evident in the inclusion of visuals of modern technology. For example, railways and cars are often featured alongside religious icons in the same shared space. Portrait paintings were also popular as a means of recording family history and genealogy.

During my interaction with locals, I was told the construction boom was not only intended as an opulent display of social status but sometimes they were also a way of generating livelihood for the local people during times of severe drought. The merchants invested in private property but also carried out many works of philanthropy by commissioning a number of buildings for public use like baolis (stepwells), dharamshalas (a resthouse for travellers run by a charitable trust or religious organisation), schoolsand temples. As time went by, the merchants moved their families permanently to the big cities, and these small towns became desolate. Almost 90 per cent of the haveli owners are now in Kolkata, the rest have moved to Mumbai, Delhi and other cities. Most of their havelis are either abandoned or locked up and a few have been left in the hands of the caretakers.

Though the havelis in Shekhawati might look dilapidated from the outside, some of them are still active as living spaces. I met Shakti Kaloya and his family, who live at their ancestral home in Mandawa. His haveli is more than 100 years old, made by his great-great-grandfather. Shakti lives in a joint family of 50 members. They have their business in Kolkata, which was established 80 years back, but have decided to stay at their ancestral home and maintain it.

There are many stories similar to Shakti Kaloya’s. I met Suresh Nayak and his younger brothers Vishnu and Raja. They have been painting and restoring the havelis for 20 years now. Hailing from Samode village near Jaipur, Suresh learnt this art from friends. This revived his family tradition, a chain that had been interrupted. His grandfather used to be an artist but his father had not taken it up. They have done considerable amount of restoration work in all the villages of Shekhawati, and have been employed by Mandawa Fort for 15 years now. They also own a shop in Mandawa Fort, through which they sell paintings which they make in their free time.

These ordinary people doing extraordinary work are keeping the soul of this place alive. It is people like the local artists who are keeping Shekhawati’s rich legacy in painting alive, or the residents/owners who are still living in their havelis and restoring them, or the old caretakers who in spite of low pay and old age are taking care of the crumbling havelis wholeheartedly. Of late, there has been a renewed interest in the hidden artwork of this region and the value in restoring them. Due to a rise in tourism potential, some of the havelis have been converted into heritage hotels while others have been opened to the public as museums. Staying in these heritage hotels is a great way to experience the traditions and ideals of a long-lost era. Through this photography grant, my idea is to celebrate India and Rajasthan’s heritage—the walls of every haveli in Shekhawati, not merely paintings, but a repository of our collective memories, which we must preserve and promote for our future generations.

Mandawa is located in Jhunjhunu district, and considered as the main town of the Shekhawati region. Mandawa is well connected with Delhi and Jaipur, which makes it a convenient base for exploring the other smaller towns of the region. The streets of Mandawa are dominated by multi-storeyed havelis.

Mandawa’s fortune soared in the 18th and 19th centuries as it became the hub of the trading community, which sent back wealth accumulated in far-off cities of the Mughal and British empires to build opulent mansions in their hometowns. However, the golden age started to decline in the 20th century as the traders moved out of the town permanently to settle in the big cities and Mandawa became deserted.

Sonthalia Gate of Mandawa, with elaborate jharokhas. The name of the gate is inscribed around the windows on the second floor. On top is an installation of a pair of cows attending to Lord Krishna, flanked by two gopis.

Flooded streets in Shekhawati after a monsoon rain. Here one can see the ruined state of the havelis due to lack of proper preservation measures. Rainwater tends to damage the bricks and underlying woodwork. This leads to decay, weakening and ultimately to the collapse of the buildings.

An example of how new constructions and encroachment is a threat to the old havelis, many of which are in a dilapidated condition. In the picture, a storage room has been constructed on the ground floor of a haveli, covering up the façade and the paintings on the wall behind.

State Bank of India in the main market of Mandawa is now housed in a haveli with a large metal grill covering the entire ground floor and the board above covering the jaaliwork. Unable to sustain the maintenance cost of the havelis, many owners have leased or rented out their premises for alternative usage. This has compromised the structural integrity of the buildings, many of which are several centuries old.

A man walking in front of Sneh Ram Ladia Haveli in Mandawa. Here one can see how the paintings on the lower parts of the walls tend to fade out and erode faster than the paintings on the higher reaches. This is a result of a combination of factors such as exposure to natural elements, slow decay and vandalism.

Kishore Thaliya sitting outside his 180-year-old haveli. He has a store on the ground floor of the haveli where he sells antiques and handicrafts, some made by him and some sourced from other places. With the migration of the Marwari traders to big cities, the locals are heavily dependent on tourism to earn a living.

Kids enjoying a Sunday afternoon in Bagar, a small town near Jhunjhunu city. Visible on the left hand side is an abandoned haveli lying in ruins due to a lack of maintenance. On the right, old quarters which might have been built for servants, have been restored into modern houses by its current residents.

The entrances of havelis in Shekhawati region are typically flanked by raised seats or raised platforms which are used by pedestrians to rest on. Vendors selling goods would often gather here and sell their products to members of the household who would sit on the seats and bargain or check the goods.

Harlalka baoli in Mandawa is one among a number of stepwells scattered in the region. Earlier, it used to be an important landmark for locals and travellers, who could relax in the shades and use the well for washing. Now abandoned and empty, this place serves as a play area for kids.

A man walks in front of the old middle school in Mandawa which lies abandoned and dilapidated. The trading community not only invested in their own havelis but also engaged in many philanthropic activities by sponsoring the construction of schools, hospitals, baolis, dharamshalas and temples.

Main entrance of Morarka Haveli showing the grand architecture for which Shekhawati is famous. Other than usage of painting and carved woodwork, the exterior facade also uses glass chips as a decorative material. The panel above the door has an image of Ganesha and a gathering of various Hindu gods anointing Lord Krishna and Radha. The panels between the chajjas has religious themes painted on the vertical face and portraits of various rulers and family members on the horizontal face.

An old man selling souvenirs to tourists outside an intricately carved wooden door. On the door lintel and just above it on the wall, there are images of Lord Ganesha. Ganesha is usually installed at entrances or doors, as the god is considered a harbinger of good fortune and remover of obstacles.

Detail of a painting on the outside wall of Morarka Haveli in Nawalgarh city, Shekhawati. The elephant was a very important means of transport used for war, hunting, royal transport and heavy labour. The carriage which is positioned on the back of an elephant is called howdah; it was used to carry kings and royals. However, this is no scene of royalty; the howdah here is occupied by Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana, with Hanuman acting as mahout, probably escorting them on their return to Ayodhya after a 14-year exile.

Entrance to a haveli owned by Madhusudan Khemani. The door is flanked by elephant paintings and they lead to the inner courtyard, a common feature in all havelis. The courtyards opened to the sky and residential structures on all sides opened into the central courtyard. The tulsi plant was installed in the courtyard, often in the middle of the open space.

Central courtyard of Sneh Ram Ladia Haveli in Mandawa. The havelis in Shekhawati typically consisted of two courtyards, one which was used by visitors and male members of the family and served as a semi-public space, and the other located deeper inside the haveli, reserved for the women of the family.

Bright painted windows on the outer walls of a haveli. The pilasters are painted with floral motifs while the niches above have scenes of riders on a variety of animals.

Intricate detailing on the upper part of one of the doors of Morarka Haveli in Nawalgarh. The haveli was built around the 19th century and has been converted into a museum now.

Beautiful tainted-glass windows over the doors in Morarka Haveli in Nawalgarh. Usage of specific materials, particularly coloured glass, was a sign of opulence and the trading nature of the Marwaris because it was very difficult to procure them. They could only be imported from European countries like Belgium.

Wall of Morarka Haveli in Nawalgarh city, Shekhawati. Built in the 19th century by Shri Jaichandji Morarka, this haveli has been turned into a museum in order to conserve it. The paintings in the niches over each doorway have portraits of various rulers. Portrait paintings were popular as a means of recording family history and genealogy.

The wall paintings in the Shekhawati havelis do not always follow a particular visual narrative. Panels are often painted next to each other with no connection between them as part of a story. This way the panels are often unique in their content. For example, here we see the portraits of King George V and Queen Mary painted in one of the panels above the arched entrance, right next to a panel showing Shiva granting a boon to a couple.

One of the walls of Kedia Haveli in Fatehpur Shekhawati. An early motorcar is seen painted above the window on the ground floor. The panel on the first floor depicts infant Krishna stealing butter and getting caught in the act by his mother. The small niches on the extreme left have images of musicians, dancers and flywhisk bearers. This shows how mythological themes were juxtaposed with scenes from everyday life and even with modern scientific innovations.

Here, on the walls of Kedia Haveli in Fatehpur Shekhawati, one can see a painting of the Goddess Lakshmi between the windows on the first floor. Above the Lakshmi painting, there’s an image of a woman lifting up a fantastic machine with wheels, wings and a horse’s head. Two female flywhisk bearers are seen fanning a couple seated on the machine. A woman modelled on Raja Ravi Varma’s famous painting ‘Damayanti and the Swan Messenger’ is seen painted between the windows on the ground floor.

A lady caretaker at Choukhani Double Haveli, Mandawa. The palatial mansions were not just a means of displaying wealth and opulence, but also had practical necessity because the traders had large families with many descendants, each needing their own private quarters. As new floors and more buildings were added, the havelis kept getting bigger with each passing generation.

Though the halcyon days of Shekhawati are long gone and the Marwari trader population has largely migrated out of the region, the havelis are not completely abandoned. Many owners have stubbornly refused to move out and continued to stay in their ancestral homes in much the same way as their forefathers did. Some have successfully converted their havelis to heritage homes or into museums.

Rusted old locks lying in the courtyard of Chokhani Double Haveli. Banwari, who is more than 60 years of age, goes about cleaning the courtyard. Banwari has served his whole life working as a caretaker for this haveli as the owners have shifted to other cities.

Laxmi, 65 years old, works as a caretaker along with her husband at Chokhani Double Haveli, Mandawa. Hailing from a neighbouring town Ramgarh, she got married at a very young age and came to Mandawa. Her husband’s last three generations have worked here as caretakers, a tradition they are carrying forward.

Daily scene in the haveli of Arvind Bhutiya, where he still lives with his family. He welcomes everyone who wants to see his haveli and loves to talk about the history of the place. This is the inner courtyard, which was a private space and access was largely restricted to members of the family.

Arvind Bhutiya reading Mandawa Nagar ka Itihaas (History of Mandawa) sitting in the courtyard of his haveli. The book traces the rich history of the town, which was established in the middle of the 18th century.

Vishnu along with his two brothers has been painting and restoring the havelis for the last 20 years. He learnt the art from fellow artist friends at a very young age. They have been employed by Mandawa Fort for the last 15 years now and have done much restoration work there. They also own a shop in Mandawa Fort, through which they sell paintings which they make in their free time.

Vishnu is making colours by grinding the Hansraj stones which are sourced from mountain areas and are expensive. Artworks are made with these natural and eco-friendly colours. Colours are made on the same day when the painting is to be made, as they dry out fast.

Suresh and Vishnu, along with their team, are painting the rooms of Mandawa Fort, now converted into a heritage hotel. Painting ceilings is an arduous task and requires much skill and patience, often involving long hours of standing on stools.

Vishnu restoring the paintings on the walls of Mandawa Fort. The palate of colours consists of a variety of ochres in red, yellow, brown, vermilion and maroon which are made from different minerals. Application of a brilliant blue colour, made from indigo, helps in adding contrast and highlight to the paintings.

Savitri, a local resident of Mandawa, works as a help as well as a Sarangi player in Radhika Haveli which has now been turned into a hotel. Shekhawati’s havelis have captured the imagination of tourists, and many of the havelis have been restored and converted to hotels by their owners. The revival of tourism has provided new employment opportunities for the locals.

Garima Agarwal

Garima Agarwal is a postgraduate from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (Hyderabad) and is currently based in Delhi. She is a self-taught photographer, who took up photography out of passion while she was working in a Fashion Marketing firm. Curious to know about different cultures, she is passionate about travelling and wants to become a travel and documentary photographer. Other than participating in a few group exhibitions, she is a projection recipient of the Indian Photo Festival 2016 and won the Jury Commendation award at TOTO Funds the Arts Awards in 2015.

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